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PhantompdfApplication · Foxitsoftware

CVE-2020-10890

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2020-04-22
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 9.7.1.29511 or later.
See remediation →
95/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of Foxit PhantomPDF 9.7.0.29478. User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability in that the target must visit a malicious page or open a malicious file. The specific flaw exists within the communication API. The issue lies in the handling of the ConvertToPDF command, which allows an arbitrary file write with attacker controlled data. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-9829.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

This is a remote code execution vulnerability in Foxit PhantomPDF 9.7.0.29478. The flaw exists in the communication API's handling of the ConvertToPDF command, which improperly allows arbitrary file write with attacker-controlled data. Successful exploitation requires user interaction (visiting malicious page or opening malicious file), enabling the attacker to execute code in the context of the current process.

MitigationUsers should avoid opening untrusted PDF files or visiting suspicious webpages. Organizations should update to the latest patched version of Foxit PhantomPDF when available and consider disabling or restricting the ConvertToPDF functionality if not required.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
PhantompdfApplication
Affected:<= 9.7.1.29511
ReaderApplication
Affected:<= 9.7.1.29511

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check if Foxit PhantomPDF or Reader is installed
    Open Windows Command Prompt and run: dir "C:\Program Files\Foxit Software" /s /b 2>nul OR dir "C:\Program Files (x86)\Foxit Software" /s /b 2>nul
    Affected if No Foxit installation directory exists - the product is not installed and not affected
  2. Determine the installed version of Foxit PhantomPDF
    Open the application, go to Help > About Foxit PhantomPDF, or check the Windows registry key: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Foxit\PhantomPDF\Version (or HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Foxit\PhantomPDF\Version)
    Affected if The displayed version number is 9.7.0.29478 OR any version less than or equal to 9.7.1.29511
  3. Determine the installed version of Foxit Reader
    Open the application, go to Help > About Foxit Reader, or check the Windows registry key: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Foxit\Foxit Reader\Version (or HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Foxit\Foxit Reader\Version)
    Affected if The displayed version number is any version less than or equal to 9.7.1.29511
  4. Verify if the ConvertToPDF functionality is present
    In Foxit PhantomPDF or Reader, check if the ConvertToPDF command is available - look for a Convert tab or File > Convert options in the menu bar
    Affected if The ConvertToPDF feature exists in the application - the vulnerability can be triggered if the other version conditions are met
  5. Confirm application is vulnerable based on version range
    Compare your installed version against the affected range: 9.7.0.29478 through 9.7.1.29511 (inclusive)
    Affected if Your installed version falls within or includes 9.7.0.29478 up to 9.7.1.29511

You are affected if Foxit PhantomPDF or Reader is installed with a version between 9.7.0.29478 and 9.7.1.29511 inclusive and the ConvertToPDF feature is available in the application.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 9.7.1.29511
Interim mitigation

Users should avoid opening untrusted PDF files or visiting suspicious webpages. Organizations should update to the latest patched version of Foxit PhantomPDF when available and consider disabling or restricting the ConvertToPDF functionality if not required.

Fix this in Phantompdf Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,200
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2020-10890 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data